Newsletter 23rd November 2011
This is the second edition of the Haverfordwest Ladies Choir newsletter-we hope you enjoyed the first one sent out last November!
For this year our chosen charities were Paul Sartori Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support.
We resume our news starting on a cold November 2010 afternoon, when we were invited to sing at the Switching On of the Haverfordwest Christmas Lights, performing outside Ocky White's. This very cold afternoon was to prove to be a foretaste of the coldest December in 100 years! We were immensely grateful to Ocky White's for the welcoming tea and biscuits we enjoyed in the warmth of their cafeteria after our performance.
Next on the calendar, in early December, we had the opportunity to sing twice with the Teifi Chamber Orchestra, under their conductor David Hutchings. The first occasion was in the magnificent surroundings of the Oak Hall at Rhosygilwyn, and the second at the Guildhall in Cardigan. Both evenings were cold and frosty, giving a wonderful Christmas feel to the occasions! Following the Cardigan Guild Hall concert we found ourselves on YouTube, and marveled at such a great opportunity for a 'live' performance worldwide! We had learned a new piece of music, created by one of the orchestra members and this was very well received. Follow this YouTube link to hear us.
Our annual Christmas concert in St. Mary's, Haverfordwest, was held on the 11th December. We were delighted to see some of you there and hope you enjoyed our concert and the mince pies and mulled wine that followed our performance. Following this Christmas concert, there were three informal concerts to end our busy season. This busy week started with us entertaining the residents at Blaenmarlais Care Home, followed by a concert for the Stroke Club in Pembroke Dock, where we were so warmly welcomed, and ended on the 20th December with us singing at Withybush Hospital. With the kind permission of the hospital, we were able to hold a bucket collection for "Action for Children" and were awarded a certificate by the charity.
The New Year marked the beginning of another busy season for us, and after a lazy festive season we were all pleased to return to the routine of practices held every Thursday at St Martin's Church hall.
On Saturday, 23rd April, we performed a concert in Solva in aid of Shalom House. The three main soloists accompanying the choir greatly added to the evening: mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Thomas (daughter of HLC member Sally Wilson), violinist Robert Mann (son of our MD), and pianist Iwo Zaluski, great-great-great-grandson of one of Poland's leading musicians in the years before Chopin.
In June we sang again at Withybush Hospital and, with the kind permission of the hospital we held a bucket appeal for Paul Sartori and Macmillan Cancer Support.
On the 9th July at St Martins we held a concert in aid of Paul Sartori Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support. This concert honoured the memory of five individuals who were each important to the choir. The concert was well-supported and we were able to donate £500 to these worthy organizations.
Then the choir took a well-deserved Summer Break!
Rehearsals began again in earnest on the 1st September in readiness for our planned tour to Kent taking place in early October.
On 30th September we performed a lunchtime concert at St Mary's Church in Haverfordwest. This was our first performance of the Autumn season, and allowed us to perform the programme for our tour to Kent.
Then October was upon us and off we went- Happy Days! 35 of us boarded a coach on the morning of the 6th October and set off for Faversham in Kent. Choir members spent the months leading up to the tour raising money to pay for the accommodation and coach hire and learning new songs. Members held table top sales, car boot sales, and survived the daffodil picking and selling in the spring, all to raise funds for this tour. The tour was both delightful and an excellent team building exercise!! All credit goes to Hillary Price, our Treasurer, who worked incredibly hard pulling the tour together.
Our first concert was for the residents of Waterstone Place, a sheltered housing complex in Faversham. Their welcome was so warm and friendly, and the fabulous refreshments they provided were both rewarding and humbling! Our main concert was held at The Gospel Mission Hall in Faversham on Friday the 7th October. We were supported by Labyrinth, a three man group of instrumentalists and singer. This concert was a sellout and all monies raised were donated to Fynvola, a local charity set up to help disabled adults continue to live in their own homes in the community. We must have been good because they have asked us back in June 2012 to sing at a garden party. Hugh Grant, their patron may be there and some members are quite excited by this prospect!
I take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and patrons for their generosity in supporting us. Monies donated by our sponsors and patrons go towards new music, and the cost of hiring the venue for our weekly practices. Monies fundraised by the choirs efforts also goes towards our weekly hire costs and music and the occasional bus hired to take us to a concert venue that is not in the local area. All monies raised in concert performances are for the charities/organizations that have invited us to perform for them.
If you would like us to help your business or organisation fundraise for any charity you support please get in touch with us. Our secretary (Janice Goodwin 01834 860953) will be only too pleased to assist. You provide her with a general date and the venue and we will do the rest.
Forthcoming dates for your diary:
Christmas Bazaar |
19th Nov |
Christmas Bingo |
5th Dec |
Candlelight Concert |
10th Dec |
Informal Carols |
12th Dec |
For more information and tickets please contact Janice Goodwin on 01834 860953.
Once again, thank you all for your continued support.
Regards,
Sandra Davies
Patrons Secretary
